Red chalk drawing,title truth.

Comment

Comment by Resident Curator on October 29, 2014 at 8:59pm

Curator’s Comments:  

 

I find this red chalk study to be bold and sophisticated; nuanced in its subtle translation of chiaroscuro, and assurance of the solidity of form.  I enjoy the way the sculptural planes of the head are softly broke into smaller flat surfaces, and rounded into easy transitions.  The appearance of the mask and inclusion of the word ‘truth’ are reminiscent for me of Adrian Piper’s drawings on advertisements. It’s as if the inclusions are added onto an existing representational image, rather than organically constructed as one drawing. As an abstraction, I’m intrigued by the cropping of the bust, and suggestion of an arid/red earth landscape in the background.  These appear to be traditional presentations in portraiture, despite the more forthright presentation of contemporary narrative content.   The Drawing of the Templar Knight is additionally noteworthy in that the exquisitely elegant drawing becomes an object.  Floating within the picture plane, the twisted figures imply the struggles and conflict in their medieval origins.  There is also implication of a dream-like state, as the figure’s closed eyes appear to look back into a hazy maze of the past.